News Bites: Simone’s, Julians and TequilaArt

Current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items—please follow any links for more information.

Simone’s Says ‘Good Day’ to Daytime Dining!

Chef Joe Simone Welcomes the New Year with Full Service; Return of Cooking Classes

Simone’s, located at 275 Child Street in Warren, RI, is thrilled to announce that it is officially open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner! For more information or to make a reservation, please call 401-247-1200 or visit www.simonesri.com.

“While this news might be a bit old for some, it feels so good to make an announcement to the world that we are finally 100% open,” said Joe Simone, Chef-Owner. “My brother John and I, along with our entire team, have been working tirelessly for more than a year to get to this point and we are so thrilled to finally start this new chapter.”

Simone’s has been slowly opening its doors since August, beginning with dinner service. Lunch was added in October, and in November, after much anticipation, breakfast and brunch returned.

“We are over the moon that this time has arrived,” continued Chef Joe. “We opened slowly so that we could refine our service and food as much as possible, and we have to thank our friends and family for allowing us to use them as guinea pigs. Now that our doors are wide open, we can’t wait to make new friends!”

Simone’s daytime menu is reminiscent of the former Sunnyside, Chef Joe’s first restaurant, and features breakfast favorites like the Mediterranean with wood-grilled bread, marinated tomatoes and two olive oil basted eggs; Jonah Crab Cakes with poached eggs and lemon Hollandaise; and the Dutch Baby: a baked pancake filled with seasonal fruit or ham & cheese. Lunch specialties include Fish Tacos with griddled local cod, slaw, avocado and house salsas; Simone’s Burger with Blackbird Farm sustainably-raised beef, caramelized onions, cheddar and bacon on housemade focaccia; and the Pizza-Salad: a wood-fired Margherita pizza topped with local greens in simple vinaigrette.

Simone’s ever-evolving dinner menu, inspired by Chef Joe’s Mediterranean travels and the bounty of New England’s farms and fishermen, currently begins with a selection of snacks that include East Beach Blonde Oysters with two sauces and fresh horseradish; Pizza Puttanesca; Forno Roasted Marrow Bones with mushroom and parsley salad; and Maplebrook Farm Burratawith Swiss ChardBagna Cauda.JSmall plates include Steamed Pemmaquid Mussels with scallions and crème fraiche; Housemade Lobster Ravioli with lemon-basil cream; and Bucatini all’Amatriciana with guanciale, chile oil, tomato fillets, onions and Parmigiano.

With the opening of the restaurant, Chef Joe is reintroducing his popular series of cooking classes, beginning January 26th. This class will start with a grand tour of the new kitchen, a toast with some bubbles, and of course, cooking! Joe will be highlighting some new and old favorites, including Caramelized Cauliflower Dip; Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Onion Salad; Roast Chicken Thighs with Rosemary and Tomatoes; a Chorizo, Escarole and Potato Gratin; and Butterscotch Pudding. The cost is $50 per person and includes recipes, wine and tastes of the dishes. Reservations can be made by calling 401-247-1200.

Julians General Manager Liam Kimball

Liam Kimball takes charge!

Julians appoints new General Manager

It is our great pleasure to announce the promotion of Liam Kimball to the position of General Manager of Julians Restaurant, a role previously held for the last 12 years by Brian Oakley.

Since joining the Julians family early last year, Liam has consistently demonstrated his dedication to bettering the level of service and quality on both sides of the counter making us feel confident that we couldn’t have found a better candidate to take over for Brian.

A native of Albuquerque, NM, Liam got his start in the food industry as a chef at Loreley Restaurant in NY. He then moved on to general manager of Toni Patisserie and Cafe located in Chicago, IL. From there he headed east and ended up in lovely Providence, RI where he managed and help to open The Barstow. The rest is, how they say, history.

Where might this leave the former General Manager of Julians, Brian Oakley? No, he hasn’t left, but has also been promoted to Chief Operations Manager of JRB LLC where he will oversee all the limbs of the JRB family; Julians Restaurant, Julians Catering, Julians Omnibus, and soon-to-be-opened Pizza J.

Brian has been an instrumental manager and mentor in Julians, the solid foundation that we all here have come to rely on and respect. We are positive that he will continue to be the solid foundation of Julians and now the rest of the JRB family as well.

This is a very exciting time here at Julians & our parent company JRB. We are truly excited for what 2015 may bring and as always we thank you all for your ever ongoing support. Thank you.

Federal Hill Tequila Tour from TequilaArt

Every monday at 6pm for the price of $37.95 individuals that are 21+ can journey through Providence’s Federal Hill neighborhood to enjoy hand-picked shots of tequila paired with quality Mexican dishes.

TequilaArt brings you on a journey through Providence’s Federal Hill neighborhood to enjoy hand-picked shots of tequila paired with quality Mexican dishes. The restaurants we visit showcase upscale Mexican cuisine in an area described as the “heartbeat of Providence” and may include some of our featured restaurants listed below. For more information about the tours, visit Zerve. Don’t miss a chance to be one of the first to experience a TequilaArt tequila tour!

Currently our 2 hour walking tour includes food samples from Constantino’s Venda Bar, Lucia’s Mexican Restaurant, and Toro’s Restaurant. In addition to learning about the tequilas they are tasting, participants will also learn about the history, culture, architecture, and local entertainment offerings that make Federal Hill so exciting and unique.